


Your Life for a Cupcake

by C-chan (1001paperboxes)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Episode: c02e093 Misery Loves Company Spoilers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other, POV Jester Lavorre, Takes place just before break of Episode: c02e094 With Great Power..., but no real spoilers from that episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22684930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1001paperboxes/pseuds/C-chan
Summary: Before Beau and Jester fall asleep inside Caleb's dome, they discuss the outcome of their haggling with the hag, and what their respective offers meant.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre & Beauregard Lionett, Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett
Comments: 2
Kudos: 60
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	Your Life for a Cupcake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jaggedwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaggedwolf/gifts).



“How do you do it?”

Jester blinked her eyes open, turning to Beau, who was clearly studying her, probably unable to quite fall asleep despite her obvious exhaustion. The day had taken a lot out of everyone, but perhaps Beau most of all.

“How do I sleep?” she clarified. "It’s simple, really. I just lie down and close my eyes, and let my mind wander. Like, sometimes I will think about my mother, or The Gentleman and how cool it is that he’s really my dad, or the Traveller and what kinds of mischief I can do… and sometimes I think some really sexy stuff, like what if I was the heroine of Tusk Love and Oskar came and swept me off my feet, or what if like, everyone was madly in love with me and I got to sleep with everyone and they all loved each other and—“

Beau sighed and shook her head. “No, not—I mean, yeah, I’ve been having some trouble sleeping, but, like.”

She took a breath, gathering her thoughts, and continued.

“Okay, so, like, I was ready to go in there and give away everything. Everything I had, everything that I’d become, my position, you guys, all of it, so that Nott could be herself again. And then you go in there with a fucking _cupcake_ and…”

It was half a cupcake, actually, since Jester had eaten the other half, but she decided to keep that detail to herself as Beau gestured, struggling to find the words to convey the tumultuous string of feelings that had been plaguing her all evening.

Well, at least that gave Jester somewhere to start.

“I didn’t know that it would succeed,” she admitted. “Like, I’m super glad that it did, and that the Traveller had my back like he usually does, but I could have ended up dead or with no hands just as easily. Which would have been bad. I mean, I like my hands.”

“They are pretty nice hands,” Beau agreed. 

“I know, right?” Jester replied. “And while life without them wouldn’t be _impossible,_ it’d be harder to cast spells, and eat cupcakes, and I’d have to learn how to draw and play piano with my feet, which I always thought would be kind of fun and exciting, but I always got in trouble for when I used to try back at Nicodranas. It’s hard to try and play piano with your feet without someone noticing and reminding you to act like a lady, you know?”

“I can imagine.”

“It would've been really fun to master," Jester continued, “but, even if I had an excuse now, and had to suck at doing everything for a while because I didn't have hands anymore, I think I’d still rather have that than you leaving.”

At that, Beau stilled. "Why's that? I mean, yeah, your hands are pretty and shit, but everyone’s still be themselves if I left. I’d just… make a different life somewhere else.”

“Well, yeah,” Jester agreed, “but we all would miss you. And I really would miss you.”

Beau frowned. “It’s not the same. You can still go on while missing someone. And I could still go on while missing everyone”

“I know,” Jester replied, “and you’re right, it’s not the same at all, but not in the way you meant. Like, missing you would mean a hole so big that, like, I don’t think even cupcakes could fill it. And cupcakes can fill in for a lot of hurt, you know? With my hands, that really would suck, and I would miss them a lot. But do you know what the hag told me?”

Beau’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“I mean, she did say some pretty ominous stuff. But she also said that even without my hands, there would be others who could help me out. Who could feed me, and all of that. And while I know that there would be a lot to get used to… that thought was actually kind of heartwarming. Even as I was trying not to give up my plan or pee my pants in fear.”

Beau laughed. “Yeah, she was pretty intimidating, wasn’t she?”

“She was, and I hope we never have to see her again,” Jester replied. “Though, you know, I think I’ll send her some cupcakes, even still. Maybe she can learn to find happiness through them. And maybe, then, she’ll want to grant joy rather than misery. I mean, I think that’d make a much better use of her power, don’t you?”

Beau thought about that for a moment. “I don’t know if it’s that simple, but, yeah.”

“As much as I hate to interrupt your heart-to-heart, I think we all need to get some good sleep in case we have to fight more of those zombies tomorrow.”

Both women turned to find Caleb, his head raised just enough to look back at them from where he was curled around (a still somewhat stinky) Nott.

“Sorry Caleb,” Jester offered, curling up once more so she could face Beau. “Going to sleep right now, okay? Okay!”

“Yeah, sleeping,” Beau added, stretching on her back. “Hopefully my mind’ll stop enough that I can do that.”

Jester reached out, touching Beau’s shoulder and rubbing gently. “We’re all right here, Beau. It’ll be okay. And we’re all super glad that you’re here, too.”

Beau took a deep breath in and back out, then covered Jester’s hand with her own. “Me too. I’m—I’m glad to have all of you.”

“Good.” Jester beamed. “Sleep well, Beau.”

“You too,” Beau replied. 

“You too, Caleb.”

“I will do my best,” he promised.

And the room settled into a relatively comfortable silence until Jester spoke up once more.

“You know, sometimes I think about what it would be like if we were making out, too. It bet it'd be really, really hot.”

It was hard to tell as Beau rolled to face away, but Jester swore she saw some colour going into her cheeks and a smile on her face.

“Good night, Jester.”

“Good night, Beau.”

And with that, Jester closed her eyes and let her mind wander, in search of a night of peaceful dreams once again.


End file.
